My Effect: Innocence Lost
by Pyrum
Summary: I wake up on Mindoir just as the Batarians attack. My existence has set in motion a chain of events I will never truly understand. This is the story of my effect. AU. An SI that focuses on an OC that I've had in my head for close to a year now and am finally getting around to writing. Rated M for violence and for in general just in case so I can write as I see fit.


**Date: Unknown**

 **Location: Unknown**

Ever get completely blackout drunk and wake up completely confused as to where you are? Well I haven't but I'd imagine that the feeling would be similar to this. I wake up with my head feeling like it was being pulled in two directions, trying to use my hand to shield my eyes from the onslaught of the sun as I sit up and attempt to get some idea as to my surroundings.

As my senses start to join the rest of my body with waking up I notice that wherever I am, this is NOT Florida. At the very least nowhere in Florida near where I live. I don't think I've ever seen a corn farm like this actually. I'm sitting on the side of some dirt road and there seems to be no sound not counting various animals noises. The air is relatively dry and the breeze brings some relief to the torment that is the fiery ball of flaming gas in the sky. I get up to me feet and quickly pat my pockets and give off a sigh of relief as I feel that both my phone and wallet are still there. Taking out my wallet, I rifle through its contents to make sure everything is in order and nod my heading smiling seeing everything is there, including my drivers license. Curly black hair, angular face, brown eyes, bushy eyebrows, dorky smile, 20 years old. Yup, that's me. Alexander Robson.

Looking up at said ball of gas is when I notice there are things in the air. And I don't mean things like 'Oh shit look an eagle!' I mean some kind of aircraft that I have never seen before coming down to land somewhere that is blocked off by cornfor me. Taking out my phone I was about to call for help or even use the GPS to find where the hell I am only to find there are absolutely no bars. Cursing at the phrase of "No Connection" on my phone

I look up and down the road debating to myself if I should head towards the relative direction of the aircraft or away. That is until I realize even more are arriving and they're landing all around me. Giving a defeated shrug I flip a mental coin and head down to my right when I hear a resounding **BOOM** coming from ahead of me and to the left a bit. Damn this cornI can't see! Luckily enough I am a completely sane individual and when I hear a loud bang a little scream in my head yells 'Aliens are invading! Run!' and giving that voice some merit on the run command, I turn on my heel and perform a full sprint away from what I am assuming to be now multiple gunshots.

I only run for approximately 10 minutes until I am completely winded and my legs start to cramp up slightly. Placing my hands on my knees and wheezing I try to come up with some sort of plan as the land around me descends into hell. The past few minutes I have smelled smoke, heard gunshots, and the screaming. Oh fuck the screaming. This is something out of some sick horror movie all around me there's yelling, gunshots, screaming, and some strange voices speaking a harsh language I've never heard before. After a few moments to somewhat catch my breath that's when I hear something moving in that damned field of corn behind me. My heart feels moments away from exploding as I spin around and what I see causes my feet to turn into blocks of cement.

I'm staring down a barrel. Being held by a disgusting humanoid with four eyes. A fucking batarian. What the fuck is going on? I'm in the world of Mass Effect and I'm already about to die?

The thing says something but I can't understand a word but it gives me this horrible smirk showing me those horrible needle-like teeth. Everything slows down as I see his finger starting to squeeze on the trigger. I close my eyes, say the first prayer I've said in years, and think of my family, my friends and everything I wanted to do in my life. My biggest regret was I never got to-

 _ ***BANG***_

* * *

 **Date: 3/15/2170**

 **Location: Mindoir**

Ever get completely blackout drunk and wake up completely confused as to where you are? Well I just have and that's a sign that my last day on Mindoir will be one to remember. Opening up my omni-tool I see that the time is around 0800 hours but for some reasons there's no connection. Shrugging mentally I slide out of bed and scavenge for food in this place. I don't exactly remember the name of the guy who was hosting the party but that doesn't necessarily matter. Came for the free booze and to make sure I can leave with a happy and fun memory of getting shit faced with strangers and making new friends that I have no intention of ever seeing again.

Gathering my clothes I tiptoe through the aftermath of the party towards the bathroom, deciding I should rid my body of the stink of sweat and alcohol that has made itself known to my nasal cavity. A dozen bodies are passed out in various states of undress and the room reeks of alcohol and other illegal substances. Overall was a fun time watching people make idiots of themselves before I most likely made an ass of myself.

Me? The names McKnight. Stephen McKnight. Pride myself on what is in my opinion a pretty badass last name. Not that I'm arrogant or anything. Humblest guy on Mindoir. Finally in the bathroom I use the sink to splash the lingering sleepiness away and look up into the mirror. Staring back at me are my hazel eyes, and unkempt eternal bed head that for the life of me I can not tame no matter how much product I try to use on it. Looking down my face I sigh quietly in frustration, I shaved before coming here last night and it's already past the point of being classified as stubble.

After showering and putting on my change of clothes, brown work pants and a black sleeveless shirt, I head to the kitchen to scavenge for food. Grabbing a box of some generic looking cereal, I head out the door eating the cereal by the fistfull.

Around me there are a few people walking around doing whatever it is that they are doing on a Saturday morning. Most people I figure will be asleep for another few hours or so. Me on the other hand, 8 in the morning is late for what my father has drilled into me. Usually we both wake up at 0600 hours. Instantly stretch and run for 5 kilometers follower by various workouts that he has set up ending at around 0700 hours where we take turns making breakfast. After breakfast it all depends on the day. Going to school and working on the farm are the usual activities.

With my inner dialogue of my usual daily routine finished I realize I have already walked the few miles home and find the door is locked with a note.

"Dear Stephen,

I told you to be here at 0800. You're late. Find a way in.

Love, Kallus

Wow, he signed it as his first name. Guess he isn't mad after all. I roll my eyes and pull out my omni-tool to hack the front door. He always likes to test my on my programming and hacking skills in random ways like this. Think he wants me to be a soldier in the alliance or a mercenary like he was. Either way, it'll be a useful skill in life. After a few minutes, I'm able to make my way inside only to find the man who so lovingly forces military training into my life wearing his old N7 armor and cleaning his mattock.

"I hope you don't plan on using that on me just because I'm an hour late. And what's up with the old armor? Planning to come out of retirement or something?" I quip, tossing the box of cereal into the trash.

He just rolls his brown eyes at me, "People tend to be nicer and mind their own damn business when I wear this armor. Go pack your things. We leave at noon."

I give him a sloppy salute and yell in my worst military impersonation "Sir yes sir!" and retreat into my room to pack up my random belongings. I save my gun for last and yell loud enough for my dad to hear "Yo, will I be able to have my Kessler on me?"

I hear a grunt of confirmation from him, "We're flying private to the Citadel. Your license to carry should be fine over there."

"Even with me being 16?" I questions walking out of my room carrying my luggage and my pistol attached to my hip.

His response is a simple nod before he perks up a bit "That reminds me, your birthday present finally came in".

I roll my eyes, "Not like its been 4 months and 8 days. Not that I've been counting or anything, of course."

He rolls his eyes at me, again, before handing my the box "I'd say I hope you like it but obviously since I'm the best adoptive parent in the galaxy, I know you will".

Being the respectful child that I am, I flick him off before opening the metallic container revealing the most gorgeous karambit I have ever seen. The blade itself was forged with damascus steel and the handle was carbon fiber. Simple, but absolutely gorgeous. I couldn't hide the smile on my face as I twirled it in my fingers and stabbed an invisible attacker before putting it back in its sheath. Turning I see my father, the stone cold, sarcastic, arrogant, level headed and lovable piece of shit that he is doing something I have seen him do only once before when I finally hit the damn target during marksmen practice. Smiling. A smile that was cut short into a look of confusion at the door by the sound of a skycar landing nearby outside.

My father pulled down the blinds just enough to see out the window before spinning around and flipping the table over while saying in a quiet but stern voice, "Slavers. Hide. Don't come out until its safe and if they take me, do _NOT_ come after me. Got it?" As he says this he pulls aside the rug revealing the hatch to the basement. He opens it before training his gun on the front door using the overturned table as cover.

I start to retreat down the ladder into the dank, dark room but hesitate before closing as I look at my father. He glances over and sees me hesitate before barking out "MOVE!" and I slam the hatch shut.

It wasn't even a minute before I heard gunshots and the sound of batarians yelling. After a minute all gunshots end and the hatch is thrown open revealing my father, panting and sweating as I notice blood seeping out of a bullet wound in his left shoulder and one in his midsection. "Come on," he said through laboured breaths "we have to get out of here. They called for backup who knows how many will be coming."

I shakily climb up the ladder as my father applies medi-gel to his wounds and as I look around I can't help but throw up in my mouth a bit. All of the blood, so much blood. My shock must have been obvious because father just gave me a look, "If it wasn't them then it would be us," was his only reaction to scene in front of me. I nodded and unholstered my Kessler, knowing I was going to need it. "Just follow my lead son. Remember if you shoot, shoot to kill."

Nodding, I follow him out the door. "I'll scan their omni-tools for information and maybe credits. Information will help find out who they work for and credits are always good. They won't need it anymore anyway. Remember that". I nod and we are on our way down through the corn fields surrounding our house. We made sure to move as quietly as possible parallel to the dirt road as more skycars could be heard around us when I hear someone sprinting down the road towards our house. My father put a hand out stopping me, probably also hearing this when the running stops followed by some labored breaths. Definitely human by the sound of their breathing, it lacks the harshness of a batarian, so we start to walk out from the crops when a batarian jumps out leaving the human, a kid somewhere around my age wearing retro clothing, between us and him. We retreat back into the field and my father is moving through the field as quick as he can, probably trying to get a clear shot at the batarian. The monster of a being is yelling out to us "I know you're out there! Come out and live as slaves or I will shoot this one then hunt you down and castrate you! You have 5 seconds to surrender! 5!"

I stand there, frozen.

"4!"

Why hasn't my dad found an angle yet!

"3!"

I pull out my Pistol and start to move for a position myself.

"2!"

I find an angle, putting the thought of my father out of my head for now and align the shot aiming right for the head.

"1!"

 _ ***BANG BANG***_

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

 **I own nothing but my OCs. Everything else depicted is owned by their respective owners.**

 **First chapter of my first fanfic, WOO! Let me know what you all think! Writing this as a personal project and as a project for my creative writing class. Hope you all have a kickass day. See you in the next chapter!**


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